Recent content by olddairyfarm

John was in the fertilized egg business. He had several hundred young layers (hens), called 'pullets,' and ten roosters to fertilize the eggs. He kept records, and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced. This took a lot of time, so he bought some tiny...

That was an interesting link regarding colors. It's been a while since Biology 101 at LSU. I had to look up the term "hybrid vigor." That's why I love this forum...keeps my brain full. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_vigor

MooseHill, I hope days 4 and 5 will soon turn into a successful hatch. I loved seeing the new chicks peeking at me from under their mama hen's tail feathers. I got so excited when we heard the cheeping before we even opened the door to the nest box. I wish my hen had started her nest on the...

Two Words: Cajun Injector. http://www.cajuninjector.com/

I know NOTHING about bird breeding and have probably committed some sort of breeding sin by creating all of these mutts, but here's what I'm wondering: After having to eliminate 3 very mean "terminator" roosters, we kept our White Crested Black Polish rooster (the freebie from MurrayMcMurray)...

Thanks for the advice SunnySideUp. You made a great point about being bird-brained... My chickens are SO stupid. I don't even close the gate behind me when I go in the yard b/c they don't even realize it has been left open. Yet, these amazing creatures manage to turn their eggs and hatch chicks...

I have a hen that has been sitting on about 15 eggs. 3 hatched yesterday, and it was a tough decision whether or not to take the baby chicks away from her. She even started to shift her tail to hide one as I began reaching in to gather them up. The hen's nest is about 6' above the ground. If I...

Those are going to be some happy birds!

Quote: Greyfields, I only skip around this website forum, but I've seen more practical advice posted from you than I have gotten in all my 28 years. I can tell you're a real farmer and you seem to know much from experience. This thread reminds me of incidences when cheap wines sneak in...

Here's some info that was just posted on the "Breeders and Backyard Hatcheries" original forum regarding how you can help: Video of accused: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/20597069.html More video on how you can help: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/20617324.html Accused Couple has now had...

Quote: Video of accused: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/20597069.html More video on how you can help: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/20617324.html Accused Couple has now had 5 children taken away Also includes Adoption contact information: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/20618224.html

Quote: I want to see a pic of how you made the PVC pipe continuous feeder! Sounds neat!

Yep, metal is great for keeping animals out, if the lid is on securely! I can't tell you how many times the kids thought the lid was on tight, and it wasn't, or I heard "Mom, I can't get the top off" or "Dad, I can't get the lid back on!" With the rubbermaids, the kids can pop the tops off...

CJeanean- That makes a lot of sense...keeping the feed can inside the coop by the feeder, especially if you lock your coop up at night or keep it closed all day. My chickens run outside all day and only go to the coop at night to sleep (year-round...we're in the south!) Because of this, I don't...

It has taken us about a year to develop a feed storage that works well for us. Our little kids wouldn't screw the tops on the barrel storage containers, and using a scoop usually resulted in spilled feed. Here is our current method: We have a hitch platform for carrying bicycles & ice chests...